


Your Night on Blackwood Mountain: Act 1

by OnLittleWings



Series: Your Night on Blackwood Mountain [1]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Interactive Fiction, Multi, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-21 12:39:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4829486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnLittleWings/pseuds/OnLittleWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of your night on Blackwood Mountain and the tragic events that occur therein. Your fate is yours alone to decide, but be cautious; your decisions will not always play out the way you expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> _Italicized choices_ will have little to no impact on the story as a whole. Any **bold choices** will create a butterfly effect, the outcome of which will not always be obvious, so choose wisely! ;)
> 
> This story has been a massive pain in the butt just trying to plan out how to do it. I want to keep things neat and understandable while having your decisions actually mean something outside of a single chapter. As it stands, there will be some major, story changing decisions that can lead to very different outcomes; these will require this story to be split up into different works/stories across a series (I am open to suggestions if you have a better way to do it). I will try to keep directions as clear as possible and will be including a list of butterfly effects, along with any updates for them, at the end of each chapter they appear in.  
> Here's hoping this will be an enjoyable experience, not just some incoherent mess!

**WARNING: You cannot change the events of the past.**

The Blackwood winter getaway had been a tradition for many years and you had been there right at the start of it all. What had started with just yourself and the Washington’s had grown into what it was today; a group of ragtag teens, free from parental supervision for one amazing, unforgettable week. 

Well, that's how it _usually_ went anyway...

This year, things weren't going exactly as planned. The generator had run out of juice and with a snowstorm moving in, nobody could get to the damn thing to get it started again.  


So now you were stuck in a dark room, watching the fire flicker and crack as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. _It may as well be_ , you thought to yourself. 

You finally tore your gaze away from the hypnotising fire and looked around the foyer at your friends. Jess and Emily were about as close as they could get without merging. If you focussed, you could hear their conspiratorial whispers punctuated only by their girlish giggles. _Whatever they're planning can’t be good_ , you thought to yourself. And, if the sideways glance Sam was giving them were anything to go by, you'd be right. 

Sam turned her attention back to Hannah and Ashley and you followed suit. The three girls were talking animatedly and from the way Hannah tried to hide her darkening cheeks, you could assume just what, _or who_ , they were talking about. 

“She's got it bad...” you sighed, shaking your head a little at the display. 

“You're one to talk,” Beth laughed, a fond smile on her lips as she playfully nudged you.

Your own cheeks reddened at the reminder that your best friend had so kindly given you. Your eyes automatically sought out the person to whom Beth was referring; the eldest of the Washington siblings, and your not-so-secret crush, Josh. Chris was showing off something on his phone, some new app or another, while Josh just rolled his eyes. You just knew that he would be teasing Chris soon, as usual. Sometimes you wondered why they were even friends when they seemed so different, but, somehow, they made it work. Josh caught you starring and flashed you a smile and you felt your face heat up all over again. You quickly turned away, not wanting him to catch your blush and faced your friend once again, who now looked far too smug for your liking. 

“It's... different,” you protested weakly.

“Uh-huh,” she hummed, her smug grin widening even further. 

You groaned as you flopped back down on the ground, resting your head in Beth's lap and giving her your best impression of a kicked puppy. “It's not fair,” you whined, “he doesn't even notice me... not like that...”

“So you think,” she winked and you almost choked on your own surprise. You didn't even have a chance to question her as she turned her attention to Mike and Matt, who had just returned from wherever it was they ran off to. Mike wrapped his arm around Em as he made himself comfortable next to her. Hannah looked crestfallen and walked out of the room as if she would rather be anywhere but here, Sam followed close behind. 

You felt so bad for her, and one look at Beth told you she felt the same. The eldest twin (though, as Beth would often remind you, only by a few minutes) had been crushing hard on Mike for years and it was no secret. You were sure Mike and Em were doing it on purpose by that point, just to rub it in. You scowled at their continued display of affection, _Why are they even here?_

The atmosphere now was considerably worse than before and though you wished to get out of here, you didn't want to call attention to yourself in the still silence of the foyer. You closed your eyes and prayed for something to do, anything to take you away from this awkward evening. 

You were actually beginning to fall asleep when something snapped you back to the real world. 

“Hey [Y/N], gonna join us?” 

You slowly turned your head towards Josh to find that he and Chris were making their way out of the foyer. _Guess they can't stand it here any longer either_ , you smiled as Chris held up his beer and shook it enticingly, making it clear what they were asking. You turned back to Beth, seeking her approval. For as much as you wanted out of this situation, you didn't just want to leave your best friend behind. 

“Go,” she said with a knowing smile, “I'll hold down the fort.”

You couldn't contain your gratitude and planted a kiss on her cheek, which earned you a giggle as she caught you in her grasp.

“Keep showing affection like that and I just might have to keep you here, forever” she said the last word menacingly as she tightened her grip. You could hear the rest of your friends laughing at your expensive as you struggled to escape. Just when you thought you'd never be free, she loosened her grip and you fell onto the floor with a loud thud, provoking another round of laughter. 

“Some friend you are...” You gave her your best scowl, but it was hard trying to act mad when she was wearing that damn grin again. And before long, you were smiling yourself. 

“Might want to get going if you want to join them,” she gestured to where the boys were and you turned around to see that they were leaving without you. 

“Hey, wait up!” you called out as you picked yourself up off the floor and began to chase after them. You took one last look at Beth and spoke, “I swear, I'll get you back for this one.”

“Good luck” she stuck out her tongue. 

 

By the time you had made it into the kitchen, Josh and Chris were already seated around the counter, bottles in hand. 

“Didn't even wait for me, huh?” you said with mock offence. The brunet gestured to another bottle to his right, waiting on the counter just for you. “Hmm,” you hummed as you took a seat, “I suppose I can forgive you then.”

“Not our fault you took so long,” Chris shrugged. 

“And it's not my fault his sister is evil,” you laughed as you cracked open your bottle. 

“Hey, you should know better than to poke the beast,” Josh defended.

“I'll drink to that,” you held up your newly opened drink before taking a long swig. 

“What wouldn't you drink to?” Chris asked and they both laughed at your silence. 

You felt your face flush once again before you shook it off. “Whatever. I could drink you both under the table, and then some.” 

“I could take you,” Josh challenged, grinning like a smug bastard. 

“Oh, you are so going down.”

 

You moaned as you laid your overheated face down onto the cold counter before you and you heard Josh laugh. Chris had passed out several beers ago and now it seemed it was you turn. You felt the butterflies twist your stomach as Josh spoke. 

“I win,” he gloated, and through your fading vision you saw his victorious smile. 

That alone made losing so worth it.


	2. 11 Hours Until Dawn

_You felt someone gently shaking you and could just make out your name being called through the haze in your head. You slowly opened your eyes and immediately regretted it as candlelight threatened to blind you._

_“[Y/N], come on, please wake up...”_

_“Beth...?” You groaned and turned around to see a very fuzzy figure standing over you. Even through the fuzz, you could see that she was scared. Feeling a sense of urgancy, you tried to sit upright and focus. “What's wrong?”_

_“Did you see Hannah at all after—“ she trailed off._

_You tried to recount the night but you didn't remember seeing the other twin since she walked out of the foyer earlier. You shook your head and regretted it when you saw the panic flash across her face._

_She started pacing and you felt your eyes grow even heavier as you watched. Something at the far end of the counter caught her attention and she went to see what it was._

_“Dammit,” she sighed, “what has she gotten herself into this time?”_

_“What—“ you failed to stifle a yawn, “what is it?”_

_“I think I know where she is.” You questioned her with your eyes and she just shook her head fondly, “Don't worry about it. Not like you'd be much help in your current state.”_

_You felt terrible, though you weren't entirely sure why. “Beth, I'm... so sorry.”_

_She wrapped you up in a supportive embrace and whispered comforting words to you, “it's okay, really. Just get some rest, alright?”_

_You nodded weakly and laid your head back down on the counter, feeling sleep creeping up on you._

_The last thing you saw was Beth rushing out the door._

You feel your eyes moisten as you think about how that would be the last you ever see of her. For some of your friends, that night was a blur, but you remembered every detail. After all, how could you forget the night you let your friends die? 

You look out the window of the bus as you try to shake the pain that that night had caused. This weekend was supposed to make it better; a chance for you all to move past the tragic events of last year, to start again. 

The video message, along with invitation, that Josh had sent out to each of you had said as much. To be honest, that message had surprised you completely. Josh had distanced himself from everyone this last year, including you. You had tried to be there for him though the pain and grief and he had pushed you away. It hurt far more than you were would admit, but you were willing to give him some distance if that's what he needed. 

Now it seemed as though he wanted to make amends, to reconnect. And, though you weren't exactly sure about coming back to the mountain, you wanted that too. You had missed him, missed _this_ so much and you hope this weekend will help you all heal. 

You can see Chris beside you in the reflection, fiddling with his precious phone. It's strange to be catching the bus up the mountain this year. It's always been a tradition for you to come up with the Washington’s; Josh in the drivers seat, yourself riding shotgun and Beth, Hannah and Sam in the back. There would be music and gossip and laughter, and god damn, you miss that too. 

The bus was a snooze cruise in comparison. You sigh, _at least I'm not alone._

 

You must have been spacing out a little too hard as Chris waves a hand in front of your face. 

“What?” You ask, a little too harshly.

“This is our stop.” 

“Right, sorry.” You say while you both get up and he retrieves your bags from the overhead compartment. 

“What were you thinking about?” He asks eagerly as you make your way to the front. 

“Nothing.” you say a little too quickly.

“Uh-huh,' he quirks a brow, disbelief in his eyes. 

_Do you tell him the truth or tell a joke_?

[ ** _Truth_**

“I was just thinking about how different things are this year.” You sigh, “it's never going to be the same again, is it?”

Your words are sobering and he falters, “I'd like to think it will be, one day... but—”

“But you don't really believe it,” you finish for him. 

“It's hard to believe,” he shrugs, “but we have to try, right? For Josh.”

“Yeah,” you try for a genuine smile but it feels forced, “you're right.”]

[ ** _Joke_**

“Just wondering how you'll survive an entire weekend without wifi,” you grin.

“Oh, har har,” he rolls his eyes.

“No, really. I'm worried about you, Chris. It's a serious addiction.” You place a supportive hand on his shoulder and try not to laugh at his expression.]

“Let's just get to the lodge, okay?” He says as you both jump off the bus. 

 

**[Path to the cable car station: 20:46]**

The entrance to Blackwood Pines has never looked so foreboding and it makes you shiver just looking at it now. You try to shake off the feeling as you approach the wall beside the gate, readying yourself to climb it. 

“Uh, [Y/N]?” Chris calls, “Gates over here.”

You look at him, confused. Josh had sent you a message this morning letting you know the gate was broken, you figured he had sent the same message to the rest of your friends. “Josh didn't tell you?”'

“Tell me what?”

You gesture to the gate, “it's busted.”

“Seriously?” He approaches it and gives it a shake, and then another. “You've got to be kidding me!”

You shrug, “not kidding, no.” He looks at you and then at the wall beside you, his shoulders dropping as he starts to understand. “Looks like you gotta climb it, big guy,” you laugh.

He stays where he is, just staring at it.

“Come on, Chris, it's just a wall!” You laugh at his miserable expression. 

“Just a wall,” he scoffs, “It's covered in ice! What if I fall?”

“Then I'll catch you,” you try to reassure him.

“Uh-huh,” he hums, unbelieving, but he finally starts the dreaded climb. 

You start ascending the wall as soon as he reaches the top, careful to avoid the snow and ice; you wouldn't want to fall, especially not after teasing him. You make it to the top where Chris is sitting and you both hop down onto the snow below. 

“See,” you smile, “easy.”

“Yeah right,” he scoffs again and you roll your eyes at his whining as you trudge your way through the thick snow. 

“Hold up,” Chris says and walks back towards the gate, pulling a pen and a bit of paper from his bag. 

“What're you doing?” 

“Leaving a note for Sam. She's coming up on the bus too, right?” he asks as he scrawls out a quick warning before attaching it to the other side if the gate.

You nod, “Good thinking.”

“I always knew I was the brains in our group,” he beams. 

“Yeah, right,” you drawl as you continue down the path.

 

It's not too long before you reach the station, though it's been long enough that you can already feel the cold getting to you. Chris seems unaffected as he dumps his bag on a bench and heads towards the back of the station. 

“What are you doing?”

“Might as well explore while we wait for Sam, right?”

“Wait?”

"Well, yeah. Someone's gotta let her in," he says as if it were obvious, and it would have been, had you not completely forgotten that Chris had the key to the station, without which Sam would be stuck here. 

You wrap your arms around yourself in a vain attempt to keep warm as you consider your options.

_Do you wait with Chris, or go on alone?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we encounter our first decisions! My original idea for the dialogue choices was to have them affect the readers relationships with the others and have the story change as a result, but this proved too difficult. I decided to leave them in for now, I hope they add something to the story. Let me know what you think, if I should keep them or remove them entirely.


	3. 10 Hours Until Dawn: Stay Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continue on to the next chapter if you want to go on alone.

**Cable car station: 21:00**

You sigh as you think about the warmth of the lodge and how far away it seems, but you know Sam would wait in the cold for you, so you should be willing to do the same, _right?_

With your mind made up, you make your way around the back to catch up with Chris. A poster on the side of the station catches your eye, you don't remember ever seeing this before. It's a wanted poster for a one “Victor Milgram”, the man's face has been torn off. How had you never noticed this before? You feel a chill run up your spine, and this time, the cold isn't to blame. 

Chris calls out your name and you push this to the back of your thoughts as you jog around to where Chris is leaning over the table at the shooting range. He turns to you, gun in hand and grinning like a kid in a toy store. 

“Did you know this was here?” He exclaims. 

You shake your head, _what is it with guys and guns?_ “I practically spent half my life on this mountain, Chris. How could I not know?” You had been there when the range was set up, you can still remember the look on a younger Josh's face when he saw it for the first time; it was just like the one Chris wore now. You smile fondly at the memory; it has been difficult to remember the good times after the tragedy last year. 

“Chris? [Y/N]?” Sam calls out. You are about to answer when Chris puts a finger to his grinning lips. 

“Really, Chris?” you whisper. You know him well enough to know what he's planning. 

He makes his way around the station and a moment later you hear Sam's startled cry. You shake your head at his antics and decide to give him a little taste of his own medicine. Hiding behind the station in waiting, you listen to the crunching of the snow as they approach. 

“Oh man... Look at this,” Sam says and you can assume that she has noticed the poster. 

Nice. You think we'll get a visit from Americas most want—AH!” Chris shouts as you jump out from behind and grab him. Your own laughter is joined by Sam's as she appears beside you, her hand raised for a high five. Chris groans as you slap her palm.

“Why would you do that?” He questions, as if it weren't obvious.

“Payback,” is your simple answer.

“Hey,” he defends, “she deserved it! I caught her snooping in my phone.”

You look at Sam, unbelieving, but her expression gives away that what he says is true. “I wasn't snooping!” she protests. 

“Right,” he drawls, “because Sam would never do that, right [Y/N]?”

“ _Of course not_ ,” you smirk at Sam's embarrassed blush. 

“So,” Sam tries to move the subject away from her, “where's this thing that's going to 'blow my mind'?” 

“Right over here.”

“You mean the shooting range?” you ask, _does he really think that will blow her mind?_

Sam looks at you quizzically, “what the hell is a shooting range doing at the base of a ski lodge?” 

“Haven't you ever met Josh's dad,” you ask. 

“Yeah...?”

“He thinks he's like, Grizzly Adams or something.” 

You try not to laugh at his description and it comes out like a very unattractive snort. You know he actually set it up to teach the kids how to shoot a gun, but you don't want to ruin Chris' mental image of the man. 

“Wanna try?” 

“Oh no. You go ahead, Chris.”

He holds the gun out to you, “How 'bout you?”

Although you have fond memories of competitions with that very gun, you're eager to see how he does. “I'd rather see how you handle it.”

“Alright.” He lifts the gun and surveys the targets, “here goes.”

You're pleasantly surprised with how good a shot he is, even with Sam trying her best to rile him up. _I wonder if this is really his first time?_

A squirrel jumps up on the barrel in the middle of the range and you panic as you see Chris aim his sights on the poor thing. _Please, don't... ,_ you silently plead. You breathe a sigh of relief as he switches targets and shoots the inanimate sack instead. 

“Nice shot.”

“Your ass just got saaaacked,” he hollers. 

You and Sam groan in unison. “Wow, I can't believe you just said that,” you shake your head at his antics while he beams at you. 

“Hey, sharp-shooter, our rides coming.” You and Sam head back towards the station.

“Wait, I'm just getting the hang of this.”

Sam turns to him again, “come on Chris, the cable car!!”

 

The ride up to the lodge is long and dull and you zone out as you hear Chris tell the tale of how he and Josh met for the hundredth time. _And here comes his favourite part..._

“Boom. Butterfly effect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to end it here since I didn't want to repeat too much from the game. Hope you enjoyed!


	4. 10 Hours Until Dawn: Go Alone

**Cable car station: 21:00**

You know that in your position, Sam would wait it out in the cold, but you have no idea how long she'll be and you can't resist the allure of the warm lodge any longer. 

“Look, there's no reason we both have to wait, right?” you try to reason. “Just let me into the station and I'll go on ahead.” 

He sighs but doesn't argue, “You're no fun.” 

“Not when it's below freezing, no.” 

He unlocks the station for you and stashes the key back into his pocket, “there.”

“Thank you, Chris.” You open up the door and slip inside, “Have fun _exploring_.”

He rolls his eyes as he locks the door behind you and disappears. You call the car and look out over the mountains as you wait for it to come down. You've seen this view countless times and it still manages to leave you breathless. 

**Path to the lodge: 21:33**

After a short ride, you step out of the car and make your way to the lodge. A chill runs through you as you get the feeling you are being watched. You try to shake the paranoia and rationalise it away, but you can't help but be on edge after what happened last year. 

As you pass by the barn, you stop and listen, _I could have sworn I heard something_. But, besides the rustling of the wind through the leaves, it's completely silent. _I need to calm down_ , you sigh; it's not like you to be so scared. You take a single step forward before stopping dead in your tracks as you hear a twig snap to your right. You quickly look in the direction it came from and your blood runs cold as you see a shadow moving slowly through the trees, and towards you. 

Your heart picks up as you start running for the lodge and now you can hear the heavy footfalls behind you, gaining speed. 

The gate for the lodge is just ahead and you get a running jump, vaulting over the wall and falling into the snow below. You don't think you'll have time to recover and run away, so you press yourself against the wall and hope they don't find you. You try to calm your rapid breathing and stay as still as possible. _This can't be happening._

You hear someone walking towards the gate and ready yourself, _no way I'm going down without a fight._ As the gate opens, you jump from your hiding place without thought and swing, but you stop before your fist makes contact with a very amused Josh. 

He bursts out laughing as you double over, trying to catch your breath now that the adrenaline has worn off. “Josh, why the hell would you do that?” you pant, annoyed. 

“You should have seen your face!” You push him hard enough to shut him up when he starts to laugh again.

“God, you're such an ass!”

“Yet you keep coming back,” he quirks a brow and it makes you feel like a deer stuck in headlights. _Dammit, how does he always do this to me?_

You make a show of wrapping your arms around yourself to hide how flustered he's made you. “Can we just get to the lodge already? It's freezing out here,” you rub your arms to emphasise that point. You know he sees right through you but he thankfully stays silent as you start making your way to the lodge.

“You gotta admit, I got you good,” he smirks. 

“Josh,” you warn, “Shut. Up.” You give him your meanest look and try to keep your face straight but it's not long before a laugh slips through the cracks. "Okay, fine. I'll admit it was a good one, _if_ you tell me what you were doing out here?"

He falters but he recovers so quickly, you almost didn't notice. "It's a surprise," he says, there's something in the way he says it that puts you on edge. 

"What kind of surprise," you ask, a little worried. 

"You'll just have to wait and see," he winks. _What is up to?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter is almost done, just got some editing to do first. Should be up within the next couple of days. I hope you all enjoyed the prologue! 
> 
> Concrit is very welcome.


End file.
